Connection
by daynaa
Summary: Fluffy EC piece. After Lost Son. Sort of memories of loosing Speed.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: More Eric/Calleigh fluff from Dayna. This shall start out as friendship, then probably evolve into more if that's what reviewers are wanting, and probably they are! So it has been a wonderful rainy night, and rainy day and I just had a superb time with my friend that I am going to base this story off us, hence the friendly beginning.

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

Warning: I have not slept for 25 hours now hah. I'm not tired, but I'm not the sharpest either so if this is really weird, hah, it's not my fault. Well technically it is but bah.

--&

It had been a bad week, a very bad week. Calleigh felt like giving up. She never would, she did love her job, no matter how hard it got, and putting away criminals, making the streets of Miami just a tiny bit safer every day was worth it in the end. She did love her job… but every once in a while, it just got to be too much. She noticed the little things now. She missed them. Speed had such a unique sense of humour. When most people cracked a joke of some sort during a murder, you would look at them sort of funny, and chide them for being disrespectful, but Speed had this unique way of lightening the mood, cheering you up, and it always seemed appropriate. He was a special man, and she missed having him around as one of her best friends every single day. Ryan, well Ryan was okay. He was certainly no Speed. He didn't have the humour, or the motorcycle, and frankly, Calleigh just didn't connect with him on the level on which her and Speed's communication was based, although every once in a while, she did appreciate being the teacher, not the apprentice. When she was working with Ryan, she was experienced, he was following her every move, her guide, her rules. But when he messed up, she felt responsible for it. She was feeling like that right now. And boy, did she despise it.

--&

Eric Delko just wanted to quit. He really did. But he wouldn't, he couldn't. He knew how much it would hurt Calleigh, to see him give up. She put so much confidence in him, she spent so much time comforting him, helping him through this when he knew she was hurting just as much. It was a way of coping for her, helping him cope. It worked both ways, and there was no way he was going to let her efforts go to waste. Speed wouldn't want that either; he wouldn't have wanted Eric to quit, not because of him. Eric knew that he couldn't quit anyways, and not only for Calleigh's sake, but for his own. People got hurt every day, and this way, he could help in the only way he knew how to. But occasionally, today was one of those occasions, it still wasn't enough. Nothing he did was enough, and he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to break through these days, to end them. He needed to find out, and that would be his mission. Picking up the phone he called his only trusted friend, his only lifeline.

"Duquesne?" She answered the phone.

"Hey Calleigh, it's Eric." I told her, just in case she couldn't tell or something.

"Hey Eric, what's up?" Professionalism gone, and friendly concern taking its place.

"I, just need to talk." I try to explain, but she understands. She always understands me.

"Sure." She tells me, "I'll walk by your place in about ten minutes? I need some fresh air."

"Thanks Cal." I sigh gratefully before the connection goes dead. What would I do without her?

--&

Sure enough, ten minutes later here I am at Eric's door. It's a good thing we live so close to each other, with the amount of reliance we place upon one another. I was almost ready to call him in need of support when the phone rang. Sometimes we're so alike it's scary. I knock on the door and he answers right away, slipping outside quietly as if we're sneaking out, only we're adults, there's no one to sneak from.

"To the coffee shop?" He suggests, and I nod. We walk in almost complete silence until he strikes up casual conversation about music, one of our favourite topics as we both listen to such a vast variety of it. We're forever trading CDs or making up our 'seven song supersets' to test each others music knowledge, and I have to say, we both know our music. I love it how we can talk about music so intensely the whole fifteen-minute walk to the coffee shop. I also love how we both completely ignore the fact that the rain switches from pouring to drizzling back and forth, and we're both completely drenched through. We attract many stares of the other patrons in the shop as we enter, most likely because of our dampness. What do they expect? It's raining outside! Ordering our drinks, we pick a secluded table at the back of the place, our favourite table. We sit here almost every time we come to talk, no one can hear us here.

"So what's up?" I ask him, veering the conversation to the issue at hand.

"I just, can't get him out of my mind." Eric tells me, obviously referring to Speed. "Weeks like this are hard, when we can't get the guy. We know he did it, and we still can't prove it… he's going to walk. I just keep thinking… if Speed was here, he might be able to crack it. I keep thinking I'm losing my touch, that I'm not a good CSI anymore… I've just never been so insecure in my life."

"Eric, you're a wonderful CSI, and a wonderful person." I reassure him honestly. "We'll get him, don't worry. We just have to keep working. After we've had our day off… we'll be refreshed, more positive."

"I want to trust you Calleigh, I do trust you… but what if we don't get him? What if he gets away and does it again?" Eric sighs. He doesn't want to think about the sick pedophile we're trying to nail being able to rape, or abuse, any more children, and we can stop him from doing so if only we could get enough evidence. It frustrates the hell out of me as well.

"He's not going to hurt anymore else. At least we've got enough to keep him for now." I tell him. I'm trying my best to make him feel better, and to make me feel better in the process. I know by the end of the night I will. Give Eric and me some coffee and alone time and we can make any problem go away. Well, almost any. No matter how hard we try, we can't make Speed go away. But that could be because we don't want to.

And so we sit, and we talk. We talk about work, we joke about our lives in general. Our love lives or lack thereof due to work, Ryan, Horatio, Speed, music… Eric and I can make nearly any topic interesting. We have this connection that goes far beyond words, far beyond any connection I've ever shared with Speed… probably and quite possibly far beyond platonic as well. We both know there's something more stirring between us, but we never in a million years would want to lose what we have. So I suppose you could say, that there is one topic we cannot talk about. But eventually, the way our conversations go, it'll come up. And when it does, who knows what will happen.

--&

Okay, so I am like dying now of sleep deprivation and barley containing my stomach because I always forget I am lactose intolerant and I just downed some yoghurt. Gosh I am sooo stupid. I don't know if this made any sense, or was any good, but I really felt like writing it, so PLEASE tell me what you thought, and I can always delete and repost later, but I feel like posting now. I'll continue if it's wanted… romance anyone?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

A/N: Like my slowness? Tonight I have updated almost all my CSI: Miami stories. And the night is still young, sort of hah. It's 2:30, but whatever. Here we go! Thank you for the reviews!

--&

"Do you think the rain is ever going to let up?" Calleigh sighed, and Eric chuckled.

"Actually, I think it's a pleasant change from the constant sunshine. At least this weather matches my mood. Besides, when it rains in Miami, it really rains."

"Yeah." Calleigh nods. "I guess we're pretty talked out."

"Hard to imagine." Eric smiles. "I think this is a first for us."

"We've talked about almost everything." Calleigh nods again with a sigh. Eric was right, the rain matches his mood, and it matched her own as well. But personally, she preferred the sun to cheer her up, the rain just seemed to make her depressed mood all the more sad.

"Almost?" Eric asked, "I can't think of anything else we could possibly talk about."

"I could." She nearly mumbled. Us. She's not sure, however, if she wishes to bring that up at this point and time.

"What?" Eric wondered. He couldn't think of any topics, well any that would be mildly interesting anyways, that they hadn't talked about. Except them. Was that what she wanted to talk about?

"Well, you and me." Calleigh shrugs, averting her gaze.

"Yeah." Eric nods, mindlessly playing with the lid of his coffee cup. "But specifically, what about us?"

"Well, you know you're my best friend, right?" Calleigh asked, and Eric gave an affirming nod.

"You're my best friend too." He replied, with a smile.

"And I trust you more than anyone in the world," Calleigh continued, earning another nod from Eric.

"I trust you more than anyone else in the world too." He informed her.

"And please don't freak out when I say this…" Calleigh began, with a deep breath.

"I won't Cal, I promise." Eric smiled, reaching over and squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Okay. Sometimes, I think, well no. Sometimes I feel like there's something a little un-platonic between us. Something more than friends." She managed to get out, mentally cringing at how much of a desperate loser she must have sounded like. But when she dared to look up and look at Eric, he was smiling broadly. "What?"

"Well, for one thing, I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous in your life." Eric laughed, and Calleigh made a face. "I'm flattered, really. And second of all, I've been thinking along the same lines, but I thought it was just me."

"And I thought it was just me." Calleigh smiled. "Good thing we're honest."

"Yeah." Eric nodded, and then after a second added, "We kind of sound like a corny movie."

"Yeah, I guess we do." Calleigh laughed in agreement. "So."

"Soo." Eric repeated. "What do you want to do about… this?"

"Well, whatever we do, I don't want to loose you as a friend." Calleigh stated.

"Me neither. I honestly don't know what I would do without you." Eric told her.

"Well, I probably wouldn't work at Miami PD anymore, without you." Calleigh laughed. "I don't think I could have gotten through these past months alone."

"I know I couldn't have." Eric smiled, thinking of all the times Calleigh had played a crucial role in keeping him sane since they lost Speed.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Calleigh asked suddenly. The rain was still heavy, but she had the sudden urge to be outside.

"Sure." Eric nodded, not bothering to question the sudden change of subject. They headed out into the pouring rain, not bothering to attempt to keep dry. They were going to get soaked anyways. "Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?" Calleigh asked back. "I just didn't want to sit there anymore. I was feeling claustrophobic."

"In a coffee shop?" Eric raised an eyebrow.

"I just needed to be outside for a while." Calleigh shrugged.

"I'm just kidding. I know how you feel." Eric smiled, slipping an arm around her shoulder as they continued to walk in the rain. "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know." Calleigh shrugged. "I haven't had a day off in forever. I forget what to do on them."

"Would you maybe want to come over and watch a few movies?" Eric suggested.

"Sure." Calleigh smiled, "I'd like that a lot." They continued to walk in silence for a while until they reached a park near their apartments that they'd often go for runs through. There was a covered gazebo type area near the middle of it, and Calleigh tugged Eric in that direction. He followed her line of sight and spotted the dry area, and figured it wouldn't hurt to dry off, just a bit. Reaching it, they both slid onto a bench, still dripping wet from the rain.

"You cold?" Eric asked her, draping his arm around her and pulling her the slightest bit closer in attempts to warm her up.

"I'm actually not that bad." Calleigh smiled up at him. Thinking back on their relationship, she noticed things that she hadn't thought to notice before. Positions like the one they were in now, which would have been considered romantic that the two of them hadn't given a second thought to. "You?"

"I'm fine." Eric told her.

"Do you think that people around the lab already think there's something going on between us?" Calleigh asked suddenly.

"There are pools." He smiled. "You didn't know that?"

"Pools?" Calleigh laughed. "As in they're betting on us? No, I was not aware."

"I always just assumed you were uncomfortable talking about it." Eric laughed, "Yeah. I think Valera started it."

"Something she would do." Calleigh laughed.

"Yeah." Eric nodded. "Everyone's in on it. Gosh, I'd be surprised if Horatio wasn't even in on it."

"Horatio? Betting on our love life?" Calleigh feigned shock. "I wasn't aware our lab was so filled with gamblers."

"Speed and I used to bet on everything." Eric admitted. "But after… I couldn't be bothered joining in anymore. It was something we started, and it wasn't fun without him."

"Yeah." Calleigh nodded. They'd talked about Speed before, but never like this. Now, they were reminiscing. Before, they'd always been mourning. Suggesting ways they could have prevented his death. Ways they found responsible. Now, they were reliving things they'd done with him. It was another stage of grieving, Calleigh figured. "At least you can avoid that." She chuckled. "Speed used to always tease me about my tattoo, and now every time I look at it I want to laugh, or cry."

"Ah, the infamous tattoo." Eric chuckled.

"Infamous?" Calleigh raised an eyebrow. "I've only mentioned it once or twice before."

"Everyone knows about your tattoo Calleigh." Eric laughed.

"Why am I so out of it on lab gossip?" She demanded. "I used to be right in there with Valera. Now I don't know anything."

"You're cute when you pout." Eric smirked. "Yes. I don't know how, but everyone knows about it. I guess there just aren't many secrets in the lab these days."

"Tell me about it." Calleigh nodded. "After our day off I am definitely having a talk with Valera about gossip. She's the gossip queen, and I definitely need to get back in on lab gossip. Now what do people say about my tattoo?"

"Well, I'm most sure there's a pool going around on what it is, and where it is." Eric informed her, then laughed as quietly as he could at the look on her face. "I get asked often."

"But you don't know where it is. Or what it is." Calleigh pointed out.

"That's what I tell them. But do they listen? No." Eric rolled his eyes.

"Do you have any tattoo's?" Calleigh asked. A topic they hadn't discussed.

"Yes." Eric nodded, with a smile.

"Where?" She asked, curious now.

"Why should you get to know where mine is, if I don't get to know where yours is?" He smirked.

"But it's so intriguing!" She protested.

"And you think I haven't been intrigued by yours all these years?" His smirk never left his face.

"I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours?" She suggested.

"Fine. But not here. I'm getting cold anyways." He told her, "Let's go back to my place?"

"Mine's closer." She pointed out.

"Fine. Go back to your place?" He revised the plan.

"Sounds good to me." She nodded. And they continued their walk, both very anxious to find something new out about the other.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

A/N: Okay. So I haven't updated this in forever. I can't think of tattoos or places so I'm going to pick some typical stuff. Nothing intense or exciting. But you can read it if you want

--&

They quickly walked, almost ran, their way to Calleigh's place. She grabbed the keys, but had a difficult time opening the door. Eric laughed.

"Having trouble?" He teased.

"Shut up!" She rolled her eyes, "My hands are numb!"

"Let me try." He suggested, taking the key out of her hand, and fitting into the lock quickly. "I kept mine in my pockets."

"Well I don't have pockets." She pouted. They stepped inside the lobby quickly as Eric unlocked the door.

"Here," He took her hands in his and began rubbing them gently until they were warm.

"Thanks." She smiled, almost shyly. Things were definitely changing.

"Hello Calleigh!" A tiny, elderly woman smiled as she entered the lobby, heading outside to where a Taxi was waiting for her.

"Hello Mrs. Robinson, how're you doing today?" Calleigh asked with a bright smile. Eric noticed how her southern accent became more pronounced as she became overly polite.

"I'm doing just fine. I see you are too. Who is this handsome young man?" Mrs. Robinson asked with an exaggerated wink.

"This is my…" Calleigh wasn't sure what to say anymore. Friend? Best friend? Colleague? Boyfriend? "Eric." She decided upon.

"Right." Mrs. Robinson winked again, then leaned over and whispered loudly, "Don't worry dear, he'd be crazy not to like you." Straightening back up, she smiled at Eric. "I have to be off. Grocery shopping today." She waved goodbye as she got in her Taxi and drove away.

"What kind of building do you live in?" Eric joked with a mock intimidated look on his face.

"Awh, Mrs. Robinson's a sweetheart." Calleigh swatted him on the arm lightly.

"I know. I have an old lady in my building, a few actually, that like to talk to me." Eric smiled. "And, by the way, she's right."

"What?" Calleigh asked, confused.

"I would be crazy not to like you." He smiled, leaning forwards just a little until his lips were only centimetres from hers. She stood on her tiptoes slightly so she could reach his lips, and pressed hers to them. He thought it was adorable, the way she had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him. He thought everything about her was adorable. Then he realized what exactly he was doing, as she depended the kiss and he felt her tongue begin a dance with his own. Rhythmic and in time, as any dance should be. Then suddenly, she pulled away. He felt lost.

"We can't do this here Eric." She giggled. "We're making out in the middle of my lobby."

"So?" He asked jokingly.

"Eric, I live in a building filled with old people. It's just not appropriate. We're not sixteen." She rolled her eyes. "Come on." She took his hand and pulled him in the direction of her condo.

"I'm coming." He smiled. He kissed Calleigh. Calleigh had made it clear that she was going to kiss him again. He was going to smiling a lot more from now on. They moved quickly throughout the hallways of the building until they reached her door. This time her hands weren't numb, thanks to Eric, so she got the door open quickly and they went inside.

"We're still soaked through." She realized suddenly.

"Well you can change. And I forgot a pair of boxers here last time I stayed over, didn't I?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. I've got them by the washer." She told him, and he headed off to go find them. It was funny, that after something had finally happened between the two of them, she could see how everyone would have thought they were dating before, or something close to. He knew his way perfectly around her condo, and she around his. They stayed overnight at each other's places and spoke of it completely casually. Yeah. She could definitely see how someone would have gotten the wrong impression there. Heading into her bedroom, she stripped herself of her soaking wet clothing and pulled on a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top. Stepping into the bathroom, she grabbed a towel for her, and one for Eric to dry off just a little bit more. Walking back out to the living room, she bit her lip to keep from laughing at the somehow familiar sight of Eric sitting leisurely, wearing only boxers, on her couch. She threw the towel at him, which he didn't notice until it hit him on the head. She giggled.

"Thanks." Eric gestured to the towel as he began to dry off his upper half.

"No problem." Calleigh walked through the room to sit beside him on the couch. "You know… now that well, something has happened between us, I can see how everyone got the wrong impression before."

"Yeah. But they have the right one now." He smiled at her, planting another kiss on her lips.

"They are." Calleigh nodded. She would be content to lie there on the couch all day, trading kisses and resting comfortably, but they had come here for a reason. "Show me." She demanded suddenly.

"What?" Eric asked.

"Your tattoo." She smiled. "You said you'd show me."

"Show me yours first." Calleigh told him.

"I've been waiting longer." He protested.

"I asked first." She rebutted. "How about I tell you what mine is, and then you show me yours, then I show you mine." He considered it for a minute before nodding.

"Okay. What is your tattoo of?" He asked.

"A gun." Calleigh answered smugly.

"Somewhere someone just won a lot of money." Eric smirked. "I should have figured."

"Yeah." Calleigh nodded. "Now show me." Eric smiled at her.

"It's no where exciting really." He dragged on.

"I don't care. Neither is mine." She shrugged, waiting impatiently to see. Finally, he turned around so that she could see his back, which before was covered by the material of the couch. On the top of his right shoulder blade sat a tiny tattoo. "Oo!" She reached out and ran a finger over the tattoo, making him shiver involuntarily. "Eric that's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

"Do you know what it is?" He asked.

"Of course I do! It's the cancer symbol." She told him.

"I got it after Marisol got diagnosed the second time. I told her if I went through all of that pain to get this, and she gave up…" Eric trailed off.

"And she beat it, didn't she?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah. Until she got diagnosed a third time. But we keep fighting it. I'll never give up on her." Eric told her.

"It's amazing, the way you two can get along like that." Calleigh smiled. Everything she found out about Eric only made her love him more.

"Now you have to show me yours." He told her, leaning back against the couch again, covering the tattoo.

"Fine." Calleigh answered with a sigh…

--&

A/N: Naturally I had to end it there. Hah. Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

A/N: Wow. So, this week I've pretty much been in an updating frenzy! I completed Christmas with Calleigh. Hello next project! Thank you for the reviews, and here we go:

--&

_"Now you have to show me yours." He told her, leaning back against the couch again, covering the tattoo. _

"_Fine." Calleigh answered with a sigh…_

--&

Standing up, Calleigh smiled as she pulled down the waistband of her pajama shorts until Eric could see something silver imprinted on her skin.

"The gun." He chuckled. "And in such a predictable place. Yup. Someone definitely just won a lot of money." She pulled down the waistband on that side just a tiny bit more so he could make out the rest of the gun. "It is a really nice tattoo." He complimented.

"Thanks. I was pleased with the way it turned out." Calleigh smiled proudly. Eric leaned a bit closer to look at the detail on the gun. Then, without thinking, he reached out and ran a finger over it. He drew back instantly, when he realized the intimacy of touching someone's tattoo, only worsened by the location. But Calleigh didn't seem to mind.

"I'm always amazed at how something can be printed right on the skin like that." Eric shook his head in amazement, slowly running his finger over the shape of the gun again. "I always expect tattoos to be bumpy, or at least not as smooth as they are." He was almost rambling now.

"Yeah." Calleigh nodded. "Me too." She let the waistband back up to wear it had sat on her hip originally, and sat back down on the couch.

"So is there a story behind your tattoo?" Eric asked.

"Of course." Calleigh smiled wistfully. "I've had this tattoo forever, it seems. I got it the first week I was here in Miami, because well, there's hardly a time now when I can't remember living in Miami. It's better if I don't try to. I left Louisiana when I was eighteen for University, and then right after that I began working in New Orleans. I was doing well there, excelling and all for a few years… but then things happened and I met Horatio and came up here. It was in New Orleans when I finally realized that the only thing I could rely on were my guns. So I got this." Calleigh shrugged. "Then of course, I met you and Tim, and got to know Horatio. Even Alexx. And I realized that not everyone is sly, and has ulterior motives and is out to hurt you. That people could like you simply because they liked you."

"And then Tim died." Eric continued for her. He'd lived this story before. "And everything changed. You withdrew, I withdrew… stopped trusting, loving."

"Yeah." Calleigh nodded, not even bothering to be amazed at how they could read each other. The wonder of that had passed months ago. Now she was amazed at the realization that she had probably loved Eric for months. The realization that you could love and not be aware of it… that was what astonished her. "But then I let you back in, because I could see you were hurting too."

"And when I realized that you were trying to let me in, I let you in." Eric continued.

"And the rest is history." Calleigh nodded with a smile. By this time, they were both in completely relaxed positions on the couch, Eric's back up against the side of it, Calleigh's back flush with his chest. And neither had been more comfortable in their life. "Isn't it kind of crazy that we never realized this before?"  
"That we were in love?" Eric checked.

"Yeah." Calleigh nodded.

"I guess so." Eric shrugged. "There were moments in which I thought I might have liked you as more than a best friend… but that's what we were. And I respected you. I wanted it to be mutual, like it was, if we ever moved our relationship forward. I didn't want to pressure you, or make anything awkward..."

"You're perfect." Calleigh sighed. "Did you know that?"

"I'd hardly consider myself perfect." Eric snorted. "But thank you. And just for the record, you're perfect to me." Calleigh didn't even bother protest. She just relished in the moment. The moment in which they were all perfect and everything was fine. Everything was good, great even. She couldn't remember things ever been good, or even fine, little lone great since Tim died. But she knew Tim would want them to be happy, because he was selfless like that. He wouldn't want them to sit around, mourning him forever. He was all about living in the moment, and forever reminding them to enjoy life with his carefree lifestyle. He would have been happy for them.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Calleigh suggested suddenly, needing a distraction. The silence that enveloped them wasn't at all awkward or uncomfortable, not even unwelcome… but it bothered her slightly, nonetheless. In their relationship, there had never been silence. Silence replaced talking, talking about thoughts, and feelings. Silence meant that there were secrets. Inevitably there were secrets, but secrets that could easily be shared. Problems that could easily be solved. And Calleigh wasn't ready to share. Not yet.

"Sure." Eric nodded. Figuring Calleigh's reasoning for wanting to watch a movie, as the silence and it's explanation were not lost on Eric, he got up and went to the shelf holding the DVDs and spent a few minutes picking it out. Calleigh, though noticing his absence, retreated further into her mind, grateful that he was respecting her space. He always respected everything about her. And she loved that about him. If there was one thing she wanted more of in the world, it was respect. Prejudices against her blonde hair, bubbly attitude, and figure in general were far too many, especially in her line of work. She was discredited, not taken seriously, and second-guessed far more often than she would have been if she had been a different sex. Or just looked differently in general. But from the moment she'd met him, Eric had treated her like an equal, disregarding her appearance, or anything else that might have affected his opinion of her. She'd loved that about him, and Tim, from the beginning. "Is this okay?" Eric asked. Calleigh looked up, startled almost. She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't even noticed he'd put on the DVD.

"Of course Eric." She laughed. "But are you sure you want to watch it?"

"Oh, I think I can get through it." He sighed dramatically, making Calleigh laugh again . "It's just a good thing there are no favourite movie polls going around the lab, because I don't think anyone would guess that you're a sucker for a chick flick." He teased.

"Oh, shut up." Calleigh laughed, throwing a pillow at him as he returned to the couch. "You know you love them just as much as I do."

"You caught me." Eric rolled his eyes, sitting down, putting his arm comfortably around her shoulders. Calleigh just shook her head, laughing again, as she settled comfortably into Eric's side as they spent the next hour and a half in silence watching the movie.

--&

A/N: I think I'm probably really good at having the WORST chapter endings ever. Okay. I promised myself I'd go to bed early tonight. It's eleven aha. And I'm posting this and going to bed now. Goodnight!! Review pleasee!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! So I just got up, hah like twenty minutes ago, and usually I get up like, half and hour before school starts so I just get there right on time and have zero time to get ready… but today we have a FOG DAY. How cool is it when your school is cancelled because there is fog hahaha? Wow.

--&

She was asleep before the movie ended, resting peacefully, head against his arm. He thought it was amazing, more so than anything else, to just lay here with her, listening to her breathe. To realize, through all the past months, more vividly than ever that they were alive. After Speed died, Eric was convinced he died too. He had never felt such a sense of loss. He was not one talented at dealing with loss. Like Calleigh, he threw himself into work, and then, when work wasn't enough, when the memories of Speed that echoed through the halls at Miami Dade Crime Lab got to be too suffocating, too overwhelming, he threw himself into the only other thing he could think of. Girls. One-night stands, toothing… it made him feel alive. It made him forget. But no number of nameless, faceless girls could make him feel as alive as he did in this moment. With Calleigh resting against him, radiating heat from her sleeping figure, her perfect sleeping figure, looking so peaceful and innocent… it just reminded him that they still felt. That they still had more to learn, more to loose. Stirring now, he found two green eyes staring up at him. Beautiful, brilliant green eyes.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Hi," Calleigh smiled lazily, still waking up. "How long was I asleep?"

"You fell asleep sometime during the movie," Eric shrugged. "Probably only a half hour."

"It felt like longer." Calleigh stretched, leaning away from Eric, instantly making him miss her warmth. He wrapped his arms around her middle as she stretched making her slightly shriek and giggle. "Eric!"

"What?" He asked innocently, his arms still around her waist. "I was cold without you." Calleigh just smiled, and shook her head, relaxing into his embrace. Within minutes of relaxing back onto the couch, Calleigh found herself nearly falling asleep again.

"Maybe we should move this to the bedroom." She suggested with a yawn.

""Well, you're suggestive tonight." Eric joked, knowing full well what she actually meant.

"Shut up." Calleigh mumbled, barley staying awake.

"Alright. Let's go to bed." Eric smiled, carefully scooping up her nearly sleeping form, and carried her to the bedroom.

"Eric, you don't have to carry me you know." Calleigh told him sleepily. Of course she would, it made her seem vulnerable.

"Cal, it's no problem. You don't weigh like, anything." Eric reassured her with a chuckle. Calleigh just mumbled incoherently as a reply. Eric set her down gently on her bed, tucking her in. He loved doing this. Just being with her, and having her let him take care of her. He wondered if she ever let anyone else see this side of her. Certainly not at work, he didn't even know how often she talked to her family. She'd told him bits and pieces about her father, whom'd he'd met briefly on occasion, and her brothers, but he didn't know much. Walking around to the other side of the bed, he climbed in beside her.

"Goodnight Eric." She mumbled. He wasn't quite sure if she was more awake, or more asleep.

"Goodnight Cal." He smiled, before turning over and going to sleep.

--&

Stirring, Calleigh opened her eyes and found she wasn't alone, but rather face to face with Eric.

"Good morning." She smiled. He opened his eyes, and smiled as well.

"Hi." He said groggily.

"I can't remember being this well rested in a very long time." Calleigh sighed, getting up. "Usually I don't want anything more than to go back to bed and sleep for another few hours. But today, I want to get up and do something exciting."

"Is it raining?" Eric asked. Calleigh walked over to the window and peered out.

"Nope." She shook her head. Eric smiled wider.

"Let's go to the beach." He declared.

"The beach?" Calleigh repeated.

"We live in Miami. There are lots of good beaches we could go to." He pointed out. "And how many of them have you really been to?"

"I don't know." Calleigh shrugged. "I'm not the hugest beach person."

"Well, today you are." Eric told her, and she just smiled.

"Fine. But only because you're making me." She told him seriously.

"I know." He smiled. The beach would be fun. Beaches were always fun.   
"So the beach?"

"The beach it is." Calleigh nodded. "You'll have to go back to your place and get your bathing suit."

"Yeah, but my condo is right by the water. There's a beach pretty much right across the street." Eric pointed out.

"So I'm going to go put on coffee and gather up some stuff. You can shower while I do that if you want, and then I can shower while you eat or drink your coffee or whatever… and then we can stop at your place and go straight to the beach." Calleigh said, almost all in one breath.

"You're cute when you ramble." Eric smiled. "And it sounds fine."

"I wasn't rambling." Calleigh protested. "Merely explaining. I don't ramble."

"Yes you do." Eric argued playfully.

"No I don't." Calleigh returned. "People only ramble when they're nervous or excited, or anticipating something wonderful. Or something not wonderful, but something completely awful. But I'm not one of those people, because I never expect anything out of anyone…" Calleigh was clearly rambling now. Eric smiled, leaning back against the back of the bed comfortably watching her. She was cute when she rambled. Then suddenly, standing up, he pressed a kiss to her lips, effectively cutting off her ramble.

"So which are you?" He asked after pulling back, breathlessly.

"What?" She was confused, and breathless as well.

"Nervous, excited, anticipating something wonderful?" He asked, still teasing her.

"None of them." She smiled.

"But you were rambling." He pointed out.

"I was anticipating something." She admitted. "But its come and past now. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make some breakfast." She smirked as she walked out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. Eric just shook his head as she left. It was going to be a fabulous day off.

--&

A/N: Hha. Okay. So the kiss was for Jodie, because she asked for one in her review! Hah. So my fog day has now come to an end. I went out and watched 13 Ghosts and walked aimlessly around town, worked… it was not an exciting day. But I didn't have to go to school so it was a-okay. Hah. Review please!


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